Subcommittee opens, closes hearing on Senate Bill 5539 with no public testimony

The Joint Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources opened and closed a public hearing March 19, 2025, on Senate Bill 5539, the Department of State Lands appropriation bill, after no one registered to testify.

Co-Chair Frederick opened the meeting and announced the hearing. Ms. McDonald, committee staff, told the subcommittee: "Today's agenda includes a public hearing for the purpose of taking public testimony on senate bill 55 39. This is the appropriation bill for the Department of State Lands. We don't currently have anyone registered to provide testimony today." The subcommittee did not receive in-person or online testimony and closed the hearing later in the meeting.

Ms. McDonald also told members that the committee's next posted agenda "is posted for Monday the 20 fourth, and it includes an informational meeting on Senate Bill 5 5 0 2 and senate bill 55 0 3," noting the upcoming items concern the budget and associated fee bill for the Department of Agriculture. No votes or formal actions on SB 5539 were recorded during this session.

The hearing session lasted only a few minutes and involved routine opening and closing procedures. The subcommittee took no direction or assignment related to SB 5539 during the meeting beyond closing the public hearing with no testimony. The informational items on SB 5502 and SB 5503 were announced as forthcoming agenda items; no substantive discussion of those bills occurred at this meeting.

The subcommittee's handling of SB 5539 leaves any deliberations about the appropriation bill to future meetings or staff work, as no testimony or formal committee action occurred on March 19, 2025.